Cooper told the U.K. paper Daily Mirror that in 1971, he went to visit Presley in his penthouse at a Las Vegas hotel, with Minelli and Lovelace. He describes being frisked for firearms by The King's security team, but says "when we got inside the place was full of guns."

"Elvis took me into the kitchen, opened a drawer, and pulled out a loaded pistol, telling me to put it to his head. I recognized it straight away, a snub .32. I didn't know what to do," Cooper recalls. "I had this gun in my hand and I was expecting one of his security to come in any second, see me holding a weapon and shoot me dead."

Related Stories

In the next second, Cooper apparently heard voices in his head. He told the Mirror, "A little voice in my left ear was telling me, 'Go on, this is history, kill him, you'll always be the guy who killed Elvis.' In my other ear was another voice saying, 'You can't kill him, it's Elvis Presley -- wound him instead. You'll only get a few years.'"

But then, suddenly, "a fraction of a second later," Cooper says Presley kicked the gun out of his hand, took him down, pinned him to the floor by his neck, and said, "That's how you stop a man with a gun."

If you like this story, consider signing up for our email newsletters.

Niki D'Andrea has covered subjects including drug culture, women's basketball, pirate radio stations, Scottsdale staycations, and fine wine. She has worked at both New Times and PHOENIX magazine, and is now a full-time freelancer.

We use cookies to collect and analyze information on site performance and usage, and to enhance and customize content and advertisements. By clicking 'X' or continuing to use the site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. To find out more, visit our cookies policy and our privacy policy.